MADISON — The boat launch, pier and swim beach at Cadiz Springs State Recreational Area have been closed while the Department of Natural Resources finds and fixes the cause for the drop in the level of Beckman Lake.

Low lake levels were noticed and reported Friday evening to DNR staff at a park located just off Wisconsin 11, about 12 miles west of the city of Monroe.

A dam safety engineer noted that a metal pipe, referred to as a tin whistle control structure, wasn’t functioning. However, the exact cause of the leak won’t be known until the lake level drops enough for a more thorough review, said Brian Hefty, deputy director of the state parks system.

The DNR has impoundments elsewhere with similar water control devices, but Hefty said each malfunction is individual and needs to be examined.

Beckman is a 63-acre lake with a 12-foot maximum depth. The lake level has dropped enough to make the boat launch, pier and beach unusable, but the rest of the park remains open to the public.

While the outflow from Beckman is significant, it is similar to the flow from a heavy rain. The outflow is controlled and there is no risk of flooding as much of the water is being absorbed by the surrounding wetlands on state and private property, the DNR reports. 

The lake flows into a creek, which flows into the Pecatonica River.

The level of Beckman Lake will continue to drop until it reaches the height the outflow pipe, and Hefty couldn’t say when that would occur. He does believe that the problem can be fixed and the lake level restored this year.

“People enjoyed the property this weekend, but it had an impact on the boating and fishing communities and those who wanted to swim there,” Hefty said.

The park has two man-made reservoirs, Beckman and Zander, created when a spring-fed creek was dammed to provide boating, fishing and swimming opportunities in the Driftless Area which has few natural lakes.

The berm that separates Beckman and Zander is inspected annually as the water control device, said Hefty. When checked earlier this year, no problems were observed.

The water control device was installed in 2004, he said.

The day-use park was created in 1980 and combined with the nearby Browntown Wildlife Area.

The park averages about 80,000 visitors annually, said Hefty.